Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2008-2009 (archived)
Module THEO3291: ISSUES IN OLD TESTAMENT STUDY
Department: Theology and Religion
THEO3291: ISSUES IN OLD TESTAMENT STUDY
Type | Open | Level | 3 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2008/09 | Module Cap | None. | Location | Durham |
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Prerequisites
- None.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None.
Aims
- To introduce students to new evidence and methods which have made an important impact on the study of ancient Israel in recent decades, and to explore these with particular reference to biblical history, Palestinian archaeology, worship, and selected biblical texts.
- To evaluate critically the new approaches involved, and to estimate their wider significance for Old Testament study.
- (For students taking the Hebrew option:) To develop skills in the reading of advanced Hebrew texts.
Content
- Specific issues, chosen each year for their topicality, will be discussed in 4-week blocks. The issues will usually be in the areas of archaeology and epigraphy, history and historicity, ritual and worship, and literatrure and literacy. Within each topic, students will be introduced to the particular questions currently under discussion, and guided through the evidence and arguments which have been presented. Students will be encouraged to understand the different intellectual and religious influences which continue to shape the discipline.
- For students with a knowledge of Hebrew, additional, optional classes will be available, during which a challenging and controversial text, chosen after discussion with the students, will be studied in the original.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- A systematic understanding of key aspects, and a coherent and detailed knowledge of issues currently under discussion in the field, with a specific focus upon the most recent research and methodologies.
Subject-specific Skills:
- An ability to assess critically the new evidence and approaches presented, and to confront and engage with current scholarly debate.
- (For students taking the Hebrew option:) An ability to read and understand the issues surrounding a difficult set text.
Key Skills:
- Skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.
- (For students taking the Hebrew option:) Generic linguistic skills.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures convey information and exemplify an approach to the subject-matter, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating information.
- Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparation and through interaction with students and staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and approaches. T
- Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.
- Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation of information in written form under time constraints. The examination in this module will contain an optional question assessing work undertaken for the Hebrew option.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
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Lectures | 22 | 1 per week in Terms 1-3 | 1 hour | 22 | ■ |
Seminars | 3 | 1 per week, weeks 1-3 in Term 3 | 1 hour | 3 | ■ |
Reading classes (optional) | 14 | 1 per week, weeks 6-10 in Term 1, 1-9 in Term 2 | 1 hour | 14 | |
Preparation and Reading (with Hebrew option) | 161 | ||||
Preparation and Reading (other) | 173 | ||||
Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
---|---|---|---|
Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
three-hour unseen written examination | 100% |
Formative Assessment:
One essay of 3000 words; one seminar presentation
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University